CT Energy Medicine

[BB]

There has been some mention in recent threads about energy medicine. I've also seen some interesting posts on the subject on other sites recently, so I'd like to explore the topic a bit here.

First off, what is meant by the term "energy medicine?" Do e-stim machines fit within this, or does it imply an internal energy? I'll supply some things that I've found on the subject, but I'm curious of what people's notions are first.

My own impression when I hear this term is of quantum physics in use to explain phenomenon in the body as seen in various forms of treatment/care. I must admit that I don't hold this term in a positive light, for the sake of full disclosure right off the bat.

[Jon Newman]

This overview is likely to be acceptable to most in terms of defining what it is meant by Energy Medicine.

[Luke Rickards]

Great link Jon.

[christophb]

I agree Cory.

I used to run in circles where people practiced and promoted "energy medicine.” Quantum physics was their explanation for why it worked (see The Field and the crazy movie what the bleep do we know). The people I knew who practiced it (reiki, therapeutic touch, qi gong) while typically well meaning were very misguided and most seemed to believe in this mythical battle between good/evil, eastern thought/western thought, science/spiritual, etc. I had the impression (though I could be wrong) that most practitioners of energy medicine were taught this foundational belief first and anything or anyone that contested that belief were enemies of "good" Just my impression.

[christophb]

I should mention that there were many, many books I was recommended by these people (and read) which have since been burned.

[Barrett Dorko]

I’m no psychic, (perhaps this is because I have not paid someone with a special gift enough money to transfer some of that “energy” my way, but I digress) but I foresee this thread going the way of many similar discussions past.

As it happens, I listened to a very entertaining and enlightening podcast last night that dealt with “energy” transference as it has been claimed to occur in various forms of jewelry, especially the “Q Ray”devices. Find it here.

My favorite line was a restatement of a theoretical construct offered by someone who “believes” in some yet-to-be-discovered “energy.” After calling the so-called explanation “poppycock, techno-babble and blather” a scientist who understands methods of investigation asks, “Why don’t they just say, ‘Beneficent creatures from the 17th dimension use this bracelet (here you may substitute “facial restriction” or something similar but equally irrelevant/improbable) to locate people who need pain relief and whisk them off to their home world every night to provide help in ways unknown to our science.”

I heard this and thought it sounded familiar. Lets see if it fits here eventually.

[Jon Newman]

Here's some thoughts from the folks at Science Based Medicine on the NCCAM

[Diane]

A short quote from Jon's link in post #7:

They don’t want truly rigorous scientific studies to determine if these therapies work. They want studies that assume that these therapies work and then simply look at utilization and cost-effectiveness.

Why am I reminded of a lot of ortho and chiro studies? But I digress. We are discussing "energy" treatments - ortho thinks it is way beyond any of this stuff as does so-called EB chiro, whereas ordinary chiro loves to promote it, and several PTs seem to wallow directly in it.

[EricM]

Part 1
[YT]9tBADYRU4sE&feature=related[/YT]
Part 2
[YT]-Pr6wQOIhMU&feature=related[/YT]

[EricM]

One perceptual fantasy piled on top of another perceptual fantasy next to a pile of perceptual fantasy.

What mystifies me is why some groups prefer to base their reasoning on what science might one day discover, rather than on what science already knows. Why do so many prefer the mystical?

[Diane]

And why does everyone ignore the nervous system as if it didn't exist or have any bearing on anything?

[christophb]

Why do so many prefer the mystical?

Because it only requires feeling, not understanding... plus secrets are seductive. In many of these energy medicine traditions there are no boundaries of reason, no barriers, just like you said... unlimited perceptual fantasy at your disposal.

[nari]

Judging by the sales of books at the 2nd-hand bookstore I work in, the top sellers are: (out of about 230,000 books)

Fantasy
SciFi
CAM health.

Science books hardly move at all; despite authors like Davies, Sagan, Gould and Gribbin.

Amen.

Nari

[emad]

well , I do not know what to call these practices , might be cultural practice , mixture of belief . I think every thing could work with the person who believe in that thing ,might be placebo ...

cheers
Emad

[Bas Asselbergs]

A little anecdote to illustrate the pervasiveness of this hogwash:
The dean of Health Sciences at a college serves on the same board I am a member of. She pronounced to the board at some point, that she was a Reiki master and that maybe a CEU course could be given at the college. I suggested (being the chair, I have liberties...) that maybe the Health Sciences name should be respected and that Reiki is strictly NON-scientific. She got in a major huff, and made us suffer through a looong story of how she was terribly injured and had facial abrasions with nerve pain. She healed so fast, thanks to Reiki, that even the doctor was stunned. That was sufficient proof for her that it WORKS.

This is the dean of Health Sciences (PhD and all) - I repeat that, just in case you were doubting it. It surprised me.